


A Place Before the Throne

by spirithorse



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Twelve Kingdoms, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-05-10 08:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: Each kingdom of Glenwood is kept at peace with a monarch to rule the people, a Shepherd to guide them on the rightous path and a kirin to keep the hellions in check. With these three, there is balance, lacking one or all a kingdom can fall into chaos, which brings hellions and calamity unto the people until the kirin goes out to find the person whose resonance calls to them. Thus is peace and prosperity kept.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pengie (pengiesama)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pengiesama/gifts).



> I blame this 100% on Pengie because they recommended Twelve Kingdoms to me. So then I binged the show over the course of 4 days. Thus, this idea was born. It’s less a crossover than a fusion that leans more heavily on Zesitira/Berseria than Twelve Kingdoms. I’m also basing the kirin more on the [Akhal-Teke horse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhal-Teke) because they look suitably mystical and majestic. Also because they’re shiny.

The people of Camlann were used to seeing things out of the ordinary. Their position close to the base of the sacred mountain, Mount Mabinogio, almost guaranteed it. There were the deities and wondrous creatures that called the mountain their home, along with the newest lord or lady of the mountain. If something wasn’t coming down from the mountain itself, then it was likely to come from the _yaboku_ tree further out in the forest. The tree was not likely to cause problems, not with the blessing of the Lady of the Land to soothe the land into peace and to soothe newborn hellions into a state of nonviolence.

Still, the strangeness was limited to a specific pool of known incidents. Seeing a young kirin stumbling through the streets of their town on unsteady legs was not among them.

The people of Camlann slowed in their work, watching the foal stumble along. The sight of a kirin was not rare, they often came and went from the top of Mount Mabinogio, either to go out to find their Shepherd or ruler, or for a visit to the place that they had called home. But those kirin were older, more sure of themselves. The young kirin looked like they couldn’t be more than three days out of their _ranka_ , still knobby-legged and wobbly as they made their way down the street. The fact that they had their head carried so far up and back couldn’t help the kirin’s balance, nor could the sheathed sword that they were trying to keep from tangling in their legs. Every once and a while the kirin would snort and jerk their head back, their legs shaking and buckling as they tried to regain their footing. And then they would carry on with a single-minded determination.

The kirin made it halfway up the street before anyone thought to send a runner for Shepherd Michael or Lady Lailah. The rest of them started to trail after the kirin foal, all thoughts of bowing forgotten in their surprise.

This was a young kirin, far younger than what should be allowed to leave. Worse still, they had no seraphim to watch over them. There were many things that could happen to a kirin, especially one so young.

If they noticed their attention, the kirin didn’t show any sign. They continued on their quest, weaving their way unsteadily through the streets of Camlann before they reached the outer fields where some of the people had been working.

All work quickly came to a halt in the wake of the kirin, the people in the fields rushing in. No one dared approach the kirin, not even when another quick adjustment of the sword brought them stumbling dangerously close to an irrigation ditch.

No one could touch a kirin, no one but the kirin’s chosen Shepherd and ruler. To do so would be blasphemous, even if it was a kirin this young.

The kirin righted themselves, pausing to shake, their coat shining with the metallic sheen that all kirin had. A few of the people breathed out in awe, reaching out to push their hands through the dust that had risen from the kirin’s coat in the hopes of a blessing upon them and their family, but the distraction didn’t last long.

The kirin was moving again, this time towards where the toddlers had been carefully corralled while their parents worked. The kirin’s ears pricked up as they approached, their stumbling walk shifting into something that was almost a trot. They wove through the people and children before stumbling to a splay-legged stop in front of one of the children.

The child ignored the kirin for a moment, occupied with tapping two wooden animals together. The child’s attention was drawn away when the kirin dropped the sword.

The kirin and child stared at each other for a moment, the kirin straining towards the child for a moment. The kirin’s sides belled out, the people watching holding their breath as the kirin let out a bell-like whinny. It was a wondrous sound, but it didn’t seem to satisfy the kirin. The whinnied two more times before stomping its hoof, its small tail swishing in irritation. The kirin stared at the child for a moment longer before dropping to its knees.

The people gasped, watching the scene in shock and awe. A kirin would bow to two people, the ones that they chose to help them rule a kingdom.

The kirin stayed bowed only long enough for the child to reach out and pat at their face. The kirin raised their head before laying on the ground beside the child. They stretched their head up to lip at the child’s hair before resting their head on the child’s shoulder. And the people could only watch as the child dropped the wooden toys in favor of patting at the kirin’s face, the sword forgotten in front of them.

* * *

Zenrus stepped into the house, his gaze going to the cheery fire in the fireplace. It was the only sign of life in the house, which made him frown. He walked all the way into the room before turning to look back over his shoulder at Michael.

The Shepherd was slow to follow him in, Michael speaking to someone outside before ducking in through the door. Michael sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “She’s going to go sit with a friend for a while.”

“She didn’t have to.”

“She does. It’s been a tough afternoon.” Michael closed his eyes before motioning deeper into the house. “They’re in there.”

Zenrus nodded and stepped away from the main room, stepping into the second room. His attention snapped to where Lailah was standing against the wall, Lailah giving him a nod and a soft smile. When he went to return the greeting, she raised a hand and pressed her finger against her lips. Zenrus tipped his head slightly before looking back at the rest of the room.

It was a standard for most houses in Camlann. It was not a city, the village was far too removed for that. Camlann had been started when refugees from various kingdoms had followed Michael when Lailah had first sought him out to be the Shepherd of Elysia many years ago. The house was a simple two room house, the main room block from the bedroom with a small partition. One of the beds was unoccupied, but the other was full.

Zenrus sighed and made his way over to the bed where the kirin and child were asleep. Zenrus saw the foal’s ears flick as he approached, the kirin lifting their head from where their muzzle was pressed against the child’s hair. He watched as the foal’s eyes widened, their head ducking to rest on the child’s chest.

Zenrus watched the two of them for a moment longer before shaking his head. He dropped into a crouch, resting a hand on the side of the bed. That was enough to get the foal to pin their ears. They stopped short of bearing their teeth, but Zenrus guessed it was a close thing. He sighed and looked back at Lailah. “The sword?”

“Outside.” Lailah stepped away from the wall, keeping her voice low. She came to crouch beside him, her gaze never leaving the two on the bed. “But he wouldn’t let us take it too far away.”

“I expect not.” Zenrus chuckled, his attention going back to the foal. “It’s too early for this kind of behavior.”

The kirin snorted and adjusted his head on the child’s chest, looking ready to go back to sleep. Zenrus supposed that it would be the only answer that he would get. He sighed and stood up, looking at the two of them.

Lailah was slower to follow him, Zenrus feeling the tension from her. “Zenrus…I haven’t heard anything like this, not unless the news hasn’t reach us yet. Has the Elysalark…”

“No.” Zenrus glanced over towards the mountain, like he would be able to hear the golden bird from where he was. But it had been silent for a long while. The kingdoms were settled for the first time since the Great Upheaval, even if they were only sure about the status of nine of them.

He stared at the wall for a moment longer before shaking his head. “We don’t properly know his name either.”

“Well, he’ll get one now.”

“Yes, I suppose he will.” Zenrus chuckled, shaking his head. “This is irregular, but cannot be undone.”

“I don’t think it will hurt.” Lailah touched his arm. It was enough to draw him away. The two of them were sleeping well enough, and Zenrus was sure that the kirin wouldn’t come to any harm in Camlann.

He followed Lailah into the main room, glancing over at where Michael was sprawled in one of the chairs.

The Shepherd raised his arm, staring at the two of them before rolling his eyes to the sky. “We’ve invited Calamity, haven’t we? The Heavens will visit their wrath on us.”

Lailah huffed and went to stand by him, reaching down to tug lightly on Michael’s ear. “Nothing of the sort.”

That got Michael to lower his arm completely. He looked between the two of them before leaning forward. “What is it then?”

Zenrus shrugged, taking a place close to the fire. He was well aware that the owners of the house were staying out of the way. Whether they needed it or not, Zenrus was sure that they would avoid the house until he was gone. The presence of their king and guardian of the _shashinboku_ tree where the kirin were born would keep them far away. He ran a hand over his face, Zenrus sighing. “He reacted to the resonance he felt, but I didn’t think that he would feel it so young, or that he felt that it was needed.”

Michael shook his head. “What could a two year old and a young kirin possibly do?”

“I don’t think it’s that.” Lailah spoke up. She glanced between the two of them before sitting on the arm of Michael’s chair. Michael reached out to steady her, Lailah reaching down to hold Michael’s hand. She looked at the two them before shaking her head. “On the mountain, it’s just you and the seraphim. The seraphim don’t do anything wrong but…it’s very lonely. But the fear of the unknown and the warnings are enough to keep you back.”

Michael stared at her for a moment before laughing. “So he’s fearless?”

Lailah shrugged. “Or curious. The little lord is how old?”

“Three days.” Zenrus sighed. “And Natalie will be frantic with worry over him.”

Michael leaned out to look at where the two were sleeping. “Well, from what I heard, he’s already pledged in front of the entire village. So what do we do now, send him back up the mountain?”

Lailah looked over at him, Zenrus trying to read what she was thinking. If anything, she seemed to be waiting on him. After all, he was the one with the most experience with young kirin. He had been raising them for thousands of years, and none had ever done this. There were always the ones that were more boisterous, but they all followed the rules. Then again, the one hadn’t even gotten the rules told to him yet.

Even still, raising a kirin on the mountain wasn’t strictly necessary. It was just a safe place for them to grow into their powers away from hellions that would prey on them and the people that would try to use them.

Camlann wasn’t a place of danger, not with Lailah and Michael around. The villagers wouldn’t let any harm come to the kirin either. It was a direct change from the usual way of things, but Zenrus was sure it wouldn’t cause too much harm. Things had been changing steadily since the Great Upheaval. First, the Innominat had been lost to the daemonblight and then the continents had come together in a rush. Compared to that, a kirin who was so sure of himself at three days old was nothing.

Zenrus nodded to himself, looking at Michael and Lailah. “My duty is to raise the kirin. If he decides that it’s to be here instead of on the mountain, then here it shall be.”

Lailah nodded. “We’ll look after them.”

“I expected nothing less.” Zenrus heaved himself up with a groan. “I leave the two of them in your capable hands. I’ll send down Natalie, to ease the burden and her worry. Until then, we’ll wait and see what the little lord tells us.”

He walked back to the doorway between the rooms, peeking in.

The two in the bed were asleep again, the kirin’s head rising and falling with each breath that the child took. Zenrus leaned against the doorway, watching the two for a moment before turning back around. He walked towards the door, pausing when he saw the ritual sword tucked away in a corner. He stared at it for a moment before pointing at it. “This though, we’ll probably keep hidden away, until they’re older.”

Lailah ducked her head, Zenrus hearing her giggle even as she agreed. “Of course. We’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” Zenrus tipped his head to the two of them before leaving the house. He regretted the loss of the fire’s warmth once he was outside. The house had been cozy, the opposite of the mountain. Zenrus looked back at the looming shadow of it, shaking his head.

The kirin were noble creatures, but that didn’t stop them from being finicky. They would do as they willed, whether it was where they went or who they chose. All Zenrus could do was look after them the same way he looked after his people. Zenrus reached up to adjust his scarf, pulling it up to cover his mouth and nose before starting his trudge up the mountain.

* * *

Alisha reached the top of the wall as the water bells finished chiming the hour. She glanced back at Ladylake as the last echoes fell silent. The city was dark, Alisha able to pick up the lights on the wall that marked the guard stations, although only a few guards would be there. Not many of them were on the wall at the moment. Since the funeral a week ago, they’d been out patrolling the city. It wasn’t much, but it made the people feel safe, especially with the hellions howling at night.

She shivered and got a better hold of her spear, Alisha turning her attention to the other side of the wall. She walked away from the brazier to try and get her night vision back. The hellions might not be able to make the wall, but there were plenty of gates to let the water in and out of the city. The soldiers on the ground would inspect the bars during their patrol, but it would be better if everyone kept a watch on every possible entrance. It was probably more than what the guard could do, but they would try. And, it helped that a crew from the _Van Eltia_ was with their boat at the dock gate.

Alisha sighed and let her spear drop into a comfortable position against her shoulder. She settled into her place, staring out into the darkness. She knew the hellions were out there. She had heard them at night, screaming and howling from the forests. Alisha had caught a glimpse of a few of them during the daylight, watching them slink around the edges of the lake. The water wouldn’t keep them away from the city, they would get brave enough to venture across the bridge eventually. They had to know that something was up because the domain had dropped away, and Maltron and Tal hadn’t stopped them when they had first started encroaching.

She sucked in a quick breath, clutching at her spear. She had stood as part of the honor guard at the funeral as the coffins and the urn were taken into the shrinechurch and laid to rest. Only half of the coffins had had bodies, the rest had been lost when the king’s ship had been attacked. If the _Van Eltia_ hadn’t been close, Alisha was sure that they would have never gotten the bodies back. The bodies of king, the Shepherd, the kirin and the soldiers would have been lost to the sea. But even before the _Van Eltia_ ’s ship’s boat and rowed in through the dock gate, they had known.

The golden Elysasark had cried its last and fallen, and then the hellions had started moving in. The frantic notices from the provinces were still coming in, all because Tal’s domain had failed the moment he had stopped breathing.

Alisha shuddered, not wanting to think about it. It was hard to imagine her mentor or Tal dying, but that’s what had happened. No one who had gone with the king to Eastgand had survived. But they had the bodies and Tal’s horn, which was all that was needed.

Alisha shook her head, trying to wake herself up. She had her duty to attend to. No amount of thinking would bring the king, Maltran or Tal back. Thinking wouldn’t bring those voices in the guardhouse or the warmth of Clem in her bed back. It was far better to just walk the wall and keep a watch out for the hellions. It kept her busy, kept her from thinking too much.

She reached back to tug her ponytail tighter before resettling her spear on her shoulder. Alisha scanned the land in front of the bridge, tensing as some flicker of movement in the distance. It was gone too fast for her to see if it was a hellion, but she was sure they were out there. They would start prowling closer, looking for ways in. Alisha took a deep breath and turned on her heel, about to start down the wall when she heard the scuff of a boot against stone.

She reacted automatically, Alisha lowering her spear even as she spun around. She jerked herself to a stop when she saw the two men on the wall close to the brazier. It was hard not to with their long coats in black and maroon and the large, feathered hat that one of them wore.

Alisha blushed and pulled her spear back into place. She dropped forward into a bow, making sure to keep her spear tip back over her shoulder. “Apologies, your highness.”

She got a huff as a response, Alisha sneaking a peek. It was obvious who had made the noise from the way that King Aifread turned back and knocked his fist against his kirin’s chest. “Eizen that is no way to address a lady or an honorable guard. Do we have to go back and go over your lessons again?”

Alisha was confused about the way that Aifred waggled his hand, especially with the way that Eizen perked up at the sight of it. It wasn’t what she expected, but she didn’t dare to comment on it. Aifread was a king, the only one to command his kirin.

Whatever the exchange meant, Aifread seemed to be pleased with it. He tapped Eizen’s chest again before walking towards her. “Rise.”

“Yes, your highness.” Alisha took a few steps back, taking the time to look out over the countryside. There were a few more flashes of motion, Alisha catching the reflection of light off eyes. She tensed, adjusting her grip on her spear. She glanced over at where Aifread was leaning on the wall. Alisha swayed in place before inching towards the king. “Your highness, this might not be the safest place for you.”

“Anywhere with Eizen is safe.” Aifread gestured back towards his kirin with a smile. “He wouldn’t allow me to go anywhere otherwise. He’s kept me alive for these past five hundred years.”

“Six hundred this year.”

Aifread pushed away from the wall, staring back at his kirin. “No, it can’t be that long.”

Eizen just shrugged and leaned on the wall, staring out over it with a frown. Alisha followed his gaze, flinching when she saw the hellions starting to circle in. They were getting bolder at night, which meant that they would be out there during the day. The captain of the guards would have to rearrange their schedule then, or call for volunteers. Alisha was sure that they would get some, but they would still be stretched thin.

Régis had reigned over Hyland for two hundred years, practically nothing compared to Aifread, but more than enough for people to forget what it was like to live without a domain to keep them safe. It made her worry about the provinces, because they wouldn’t have the same amount of soldiers as the city. The provincial armies would have to do, but those had gone down during the years of peace. Alisha would ask the captain what they would do about them, because the word about the king had to be spread so they could make the right adjustments.  Of course, that meant that they would have to spare a soldier. Alisha couldn’t imagine their captain sending out a civilian to ride through all of Hyland, not when the numbers of hellions would be growing.

She reached out to grab onto the crenulations on the wall, leaning out to watch as the hellions started to approach. None of them seemed to be heading for the water gates, but she wanted to warn the others anyway.

Alisha pushed away from the wall, striding over to the brazier. She grabbed one of the torches that had been left prepared and stuck it in the fire. It caught fire quickly, Alisha raising it above her head and waving it. She stared out into the city, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the response from the city. The word would spread and the patrols would break up in favor of watching the water gates. Alisha pushed the torch back into the brazier, blinking rapidly as she stepped away from the brazier.

It took her a moment to regain her night vision, Alisha staring out at the hellions started to circle in. There were more than the night before, and it made her heart pound.

She was trained to fight, but training was different from this. The closest that she had gotten was when Maltran had taken a few of them out to scare off hellions, but they had never gotten close to them. Maltran and Tal had always handled the hellions alone.

Alisha licked her lips, staring out at the hellions as her mind worked. “Your highness, I think you should get to safety.”

Aifread laughed, Alisha looking at him in surprise. The man waved her off, his hand quickly dropping to the sword on his waist. The motion of his coat drew her attention down to it.

She marveled at the familiar curves of a Shepherd’s sword, although it was tucked out of the way. Aifread cured his hand around the cutlass that was in front of it, shooting her a rueful smile. “You find us in the market for a Shepherd, if Eizen can ever make up his mind.”

The kirin huffed again, but this time Aifread didn’t tease him for it. The king was too busy leaning out over the wall. “I also have no intention of retreating.”

“But-”

“If I do, then that’s all people will ask me to do.” He turned to give her a smile before squinting into the darkness. “I have a long life ahead of me and sitting back is not something I plan on doing.”

Alisha nodded slowly. She didn’t agree, but she was in no position to give Aifread orders, she was just a guard. She licked her lips and fell in beside him. “Thank you, your majesty. But what will happen when you’re gone?”

“We’ll figure it out then.” Aifread leaned out again, frowning when he saw the hellions circling closer. “Damn that canal. If it were deeper we could have the _Van Eltia_ in your lake and keep them back with cannon. Eizen, get the crew woken up, tell them to prepare for action.”

Aifread snapped the orders out like a commander, Alisha watching him out of the corner of her eye. It was nothing like the kings she had heard of. King Zenrus was more like a god than an actual king and both King Régis and King Leon of Rolance were more likely to give command over to their generals. It made her heart pound, Alisha in awe of the man. She could now see why he was able to control his far flung kingdom. No one who sat back and passed orders to others could rule Islegand and the far flung seas inside of the dangerous Outer Sea.

She snapped to attention as Aifread looked back at her. He gave her a nod. “The alarm, please.”

Alisha barely paused to acknowledge the order. She raced for the closest tower, lunging for the rope to start ringing the bell. Alisha pulled hard, panting for breath as the bell rang out over Ladylake. Within moments, other bells from the tower were ringing out. She couldn’t hear anything over their racket but she could see lights flickering on in the city as everyone raced to arms.

She took a few steps back, taking deep breaths as she fumbled for a hold on her spear. A loud crack caught her attention, Alisha spinning to watch as Aifread lowered his strange weapon, smoke billowing around him. She didn’t have time to wonder at the strange king because the sound of wings caught her attention.

Alisha planted her feet, jabbing up with her spear even as she looked up.

Massive wyverns were flying over the wall, their snake-like heads snapping down. Alisha swallowed and adjusted her aim before stabbing up again.

Her spear caught one of the wyverns, the hellion screeching before tumbling down, nearly pulling her with it. Alisha gasped and yanked her spear free. She stumbled back against the battlements, glancing over at Aifread.

He had given up his strange weapon for his cutlass, although it couldn’t do much against the wyverns that were flying overhead. Alisha licked her lips, her attention jerking over to where Eizen was standing.

The kirin no longer looked human, Eizen rearing up and pawing at the wyvern with his cloven hooves. The hellions darted above his reaching hooves, hissing and snapping at him. Eizen screamed at them, jumping up after them. He managed to snap at the feathers on one of the wyverns’ wings, and then he was jumping onto the crenulations. He looked impressive there, the kirin golden and black coat shining in the light. Eizen tossed back his head, screaming defiance at the hellions.

They responded in kind, Alisha seeing a few of them retreating. Still, it wasn’t enough to draw them off. Eizen wasn’t the Lord of the Land here, his domain rested securely over Islegand. The hellions could attack without worry.

Alisha shoved away from the battlements, twisting to stab up again. She missed the wyvern, but she was already lining herself up for the next one. Even as she did, she looked over at the city. People were assembling to stab and slash at the wyverns that had made it over. More people were running to the wall with spears.

She shot a look at where Aifread was making another swipe at a wyvern as Eizen practically danced across the battlements behind him, the kirin snapping and kicking. Her heart pounded fast as the kirin made another jump at one of the wyverns, Alisha sure that he would tumble off the wall, but Eizen nimbly caught himself. It was a wonderful act of balance, but it couldn’t last long. For all of his bluster, Eizen would falter as soon as blood started to be drawn. He might be able to stand a certain amount of blood, but he would eventually succumb, and she did not want to be the reason that Islegand lost their kirin or their king.

Alisha ducked the raking claws of a wyvern, rushing back to Aifread’s side. “Your majesty, it would be better if you left the wall.”

Aifread turned to look at her, Alisha feeling her mouth go dry with fear. She swallowed and pushed through, ducking her head in deference. “Let the spearmen handle the walls. We’ll need people below.”

Aifread looked her up and down before spinning away. The man strode over to the pile of black that Alisha belatedly realized were Eizen’s clothes. Aifread scooped them up in an easy motion and tucked them in one arm. He reached out with the other, grabbing onto Eizen’s black mane and tugging.

The kirin turned to look at him, snorting loudly. Alisha breathed a sigh of relief as Eizen jumped down, although it didn’t last long. Eizen had barely gone two steps before he jerked to a stop, an ear flicking to the side.

He spun around, both of his ears pricked, his tail flagged and his nostrils flared. Alisha didn’t get the chance to ask what was going on before Eizen jumped over the battlements.

“NO!” She lunged for the battlements, reaching out in a desperate and late attempt to grab onto the kirin. She wasn’t even sure what she would manage to do if she caught him. Even if she had been able to hold the weight of a full grown kirin, she would lose her hands for daring to touch him without his permission.

But Eizen was falling away too fast, Alisha reaching after him. The kirin kicked away from the wall, landing lightly on the ground. Alisha stared after him before pushing away from the wall. She glanced at the countryside, intending to pinpoint where the hellions were when she saw something silver flash in the distance.

Alisha rubbed at her eyes before looking out in the direction of the flash. She was almost glad when she didn’t see it again, because then she could write it off as her imagination.

It hadn’t looked natural, it had looked like magic, and there were only few creatures that could do that.

She jerked away from the wall as the flash came again, already running for the stairs even as Aifread shouted down to Eizen. She didn’t hear the kirin answer, she was bounding down the stairs and racing for the gate. She waved an arm to get the attention of the people there. “Open the gate!”

“Lieutenant Dipha?!”

“Open the gate.” Alisha pointed at the gate. “I saw silver – a Shepherd.”

The soldiers on duty looked taken aback, but they stumbled into motion. Alisha was glad of it, even as Aifread ran down the stairs, the king shouting the same order. He didn’t have to, the mention of the silver magic and the Shepherd was enough to make the soldiers rush.

Hellions were difficult to drive off, but it could be done with enough effort, perseverance and, most likely, loss of life. But a Shepherd and their Prime Lord could drive them away. A Shepherd and kirin could keep them safe.

A Shepherd and the kirin might be coming for _them_.

Alisha darted for the gate as soon as there was an opening. She squeezed through the gap, running full out for the bridge. It was only habit that kept her spear in her hand, because she couldn’t think beyond the incoming hope of a Shepherd. If it was really for them, then Hyland was saved. There would be a kirin and possibly a king again. As long as there was a ruler, there was a domain, and the hellions would be pushed back. It wouldn’t be as good as a ruler and a Shepherd, but it would be something. It would buy them time.

The sound of hooves on the bridge caught her attention. Alisha looked over to see Eizen stepping down from the wall of the bridge and onto the bridge itself. The kirin cantered down the length of the bridge, not seeming to care about the hellions. Then again, the hellions didn’t seem to be as focused on Ladylake anymore. They were stalking away. Alisha didn’t know if it was because of the trouble that they were having getting into the city or because there were two kirins. Either way, she would take whatever pause they could get.

She raced after Eizen, distantly hearing orders being called out as the rest of the city guard began to organize themselves. Alisha was sure that they wouldn’t rush the bridge, but they would hold it. Their first duty would be to send the rest of the wyverns scurrying out of the city. It’s what she should be doing, but she couldn’t turn back around. Her gaze was fixed on Eizen as the kirin cantered off of the bridge, the moonlight making it easy to pick up the gold of the kirin’s coat, although his mane and legs disappeared in the darkness.

Alisha cursed and tightened her hold on the spear. She didn’t dare throw it, not when Eizen was still ahead of her. She could just imagine the horror that would come out of accidentally killing Islegand’s kirin. One of their allies would be lost to them. The _sea_ would be lost to them.

She gritted her teeth and adjusted her hold on her spear. She would never catch up to Eizen, so she would have to adjust. Eizen had clearly seen something out in the night, even if her sighting of the silver had been a trick of the night or some kind of desperation on her part. Whatever was coming would need shelter, so she would hold the end of the bridge. Alisha didn’t think the hellions would dare to get that close, but she didn’t want to take that chance.

Alisha slowed down as she reached the end of the bridge, turning to the side and bracing the end of her spear against her foot. It was a small barrier, but anything running at her would be impaled on the spear.

She scanned the shoreline, seeing flashes of movement that were the hellions as they turned and scattered. Every once and a while she would catch a glimpse of Eizen, the kirin racing out in a flash of gold and black. He would chase after hellions before spinning away to chase away the next group.

For now, the hellions were running away from him instead of circling back around, but they would figure out that Eizen couldn’t do much to them eventually. A kirin without a Shepherd could do nothing more than chase. The mystical power granted to them to tame and calm the hellions wouldn’t come unless they had one, and Alisha had heard that the Kingdom of Islegand hadn’t had a Shepherd for the past one hundred fifty years.

She licked her lips, watching the flash of gold. If she edged off the bridge there was a chance that she would be able to help. It would only be with the hellions that were retreating, but that had to be better than just letting them get away. Hellions would remember the trouble and, maybe, stay away.

Alisha shifted her foot, shifting herself to rush at one of the wolves that was loping away. She lined herself up only to jerk to a stop at another flash of silver, this one brighter.

She turned to stare at the road, her eyes widened as she saw something else galloping towards the hellions that Eizen hadn’t gotten to. Alisha could see something moving through, her breath catching when another flash of silver showed a kirin charging down.

Alisha could only stare at the silver flames that flickered out around the kirin. They didn’t touch the hellions, but the threat was enough to send them scattering. The wolves broke away with terrified howls, the second kirin pulling up about the end of the bridge.

The hellions clumped together, pacing together in a mass before letting a larger hellion through. The large wolf snarled, Alisha pivoting towards it. She didn’t know what her spear could do to it, but it was better than just leaving the two kirin to themselves.

She started inching forward, her eyes widening when she saw the person charging down to stand close to the newly arrived kirin. Alisha unclenched one hand from the spear, making frantic motions for him to get away. The person didn’t seem to notice her. His hand dropped to his sword, the person pulling it free. Alisha expected to see a shine from it, but her attention was grabbed again as the large wolf inched forward.

It hunkered down with a growl. “This is not your place.”

Eizen just snorted in response, but the bronze kirin stepped forward, silver fire still drifting from his horn. “You will _not_ hurt them.”

The wolf’s hackles rose, Alisha expecting it to laugh or attack, but it just went still. The wolf stared at the grouping of three for a moment, looking like it was struggling with something. Then, to her surprise, the wolf dropped down into a bow. The hellion shifted uneasily, only released when the kirin snorted. Its submission didn’t stop the wolf from snarling at the kirin before turning and rushing off, the other hellions streaming after it.

The bronze kirin trotted after them for a few strides before coming to a stop. It remained tensed for a moment longer before relaxing, Alisha seeing the kirin’s skin shudder a bit. The kirin settled in the next moment, standing still as it stared out after the retreating hellions. Alisha knew that she should check back with the city to make sure the wyverns had retreated, but she couldn’t stop staring at the kirin.

For a moment, the kirin didn’t seem to notice. Then its ears flicked back.

Alisha sucked a quick breath in. She took a step back, clutching her spear close before she remembered herself. She tucked it back against her shoulder, about to murmur and apology when the kirin turned their head. The human immediately came rushing up to them, the kirin dropping their head down into the human’s arms. The two of them leaned in together, obviously having a conversation. Alisha could hear every other word, and it made her blush. This was not for her, but she couldn’t stop staring.

It didn’t matter that she had known Tal, all kirin were beautiful creatures. They were delicate, deceptively so. After all, Eizen had leapt down from the wall without the problem.

Kirin only vaguely resembled horses, but biggest difference was the metallic sheen of their coats and the horn that rose from the center of their forehead. Their manes and tails were longer, flowing down around their knees. The bronze kirin’s tail even dragged on the ground.

Alisha looked down the kirin’s legs, looking at the feathers that grew along the back of the leg, from the knee to the fetlock. The longer hair nearly obscured the deer-like cloven hooves.

She jerked her gaze away as the kirin stamped, her eyes going wide when she realized that all three of them were staring at her.

Alisha took a step back, glancing back over her shoulder. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Aifread and a section of the guard rushing out towards her. It was probably the king that had attracted their attention. The kings all carried a high resonance with the kirin, it was what drew the kirin to their ruler or Shepherd.

She swallowed and stepped over to the edge of the bridge, leaning back against the wall. She ducked her head as Eizen moved past, watching the kirin’s black stockinged legs as he walked back to his king. Alisha watched the pattern of his strides, breathing a sigh of relief. Eizen hadn’t hurt himself chasing off the hellions. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if he had. There was no one she knew who could help a hurt kirin, let along anyone who would dare touch one.

Alisha tipped her head to the side, resting it against her spear. She could feel her legs shake now that the initial rush of adrenaline was over. Ladylake was safe, but she had run out of the gates without backup. But all she could think of was the people of Ladylake and keeping the hellions away for another night.

She sighed, swaying in place. They had chased them away for now, but she had hours left of her time on the wall, and Alisha was sure that she wouldn’t be able to walk for a bit, not without falling on her face.

Alisha shook her head. She would give herself a few more moments, just enough time to ask about the state of the city. Then she could at least buy herself the time to think of what to do next. It was likely that the hellions wouldn’t come back that night, especially with two kirin around. Alisha hoped that she could convince the second kirin and their person to stay, if only for a while. Aifread and Eizen couldn’t be convinced, not when they had their own business to return to. They had done Ladylake so many favors already, more than Alisha had ever expected.

She jumped at the sound of hooves on the bridge, Alisha looking up. Her eyes widened as the bronze kirin walked over to her. She expected them to pass, but the kirin stopped. They tipped their head to the side, one ear twisted back towards the person with them. Even that didn’t last long, the kirin’s ear flicking back towards her.

Alisha froze under the full attention of the kirin. She leaned back against the wall, feeling the stone bite into her back. The proper protocol would be to duck her head and bow to the kirin, but she couldn’t look away.

Her gaze darted to the human that had accompanied the kirin, but she didn’t get a chance to get a good look at him, because both the human and kirin were bowing to her.

“No.” She reached out, the spear dropping out of her hands and off of her shoulder. It clattered on the stones of the bridge, the sound suddenly too loud. She was distantly aware that she should pick it up before someone hurt themselves on it, but she couldn’t look away from the two bowing in front of her. A kirin wasn’t supposed to bow to anyone but their ruler or Shepherd, and she was neither. She was just a guard.

Alisha swallowed, trying to get the right words out, but her tongue felt heavy and her heart was pounding. It was so loud in her ears that she almost missed when the human and kirin spoke.

"I swear never to desert my post before your throne."

* * *

Mikleo peered down into the canal, watching the water move sedately past. He leaned on the railing, looking over at the giant wheel. It was still for now, water still left in the individual sections of it. Mikleo tipped his head, studying it before pushing away to look back at where the wheelhouse was.

It was just a small building, just enough to keep an operator out of the rain and store the tools needed for upkeep. Two people were standing outside it, Mikleo watching as they shifted nervously. It was something that he expected considering that they were being questioned by the kirin and the Shepherd.

He shivered at the thought, trying to push the strangeness away. He had known what he was for years, and what would eventually happen to him. He knew that he and Sorey would leave Camlann and the safe shadow of Mount Mabinogio. He’d never known where, but it hadn’t mattered, it still didn’t. He had just never thought about what it would mean to them. It meant stares, awe and bowing, which was almost annoying. He and Sorey were just kids from a small town in a small kingdom. They just wanted to see the wonders of the Hyland, both for themselves and because it was their job now.

Mikleo pushed away from the railing, walking over to where Sorey was listening to a very halting explanation of how they maintained the wheel. Sorey was nodding along, a very attentive look on his face. Mikleo was sure that it was just as off-putting as the full attention of the kirin.

He reached out to put his hand on Sorey’s shoulder, Sorey leaning into him. Mikleo swept his gaze over to the two people in charge of the wheel, trying not to wince as they stumbled through their explanation.

“W-we do this about every month, to make sure things are functioning. The wheel needs to keep turning, to keep things moving.” The woman opened and closed her mouth for a moment before pointing.

That was enough to send Sorey scurrying over to the railing and leaning out. The second woman lunged like she would try and pull him back, but she stopped herself in the last minute with a horrified look at her hand. She probably thought that it would be sacrilege to touch the kirin. Mikleo was unsure of that, especially when it would be to save him. Mikleo would thank her, as would Alisha. Still, there was no need to push.

He stepped closer to Sorey, reaching out to grab the back of his shirt to steady him. Sorey looked back to smile at him before leaning out again. Mikleo swallowed and looked back at the workers, resisting the urge to lean out himself. He was sure that it would make the workers panic. Instead he settled for getting a better hold on Sorey’s shirt. “What do you see?”

“There’s a little channel towards the back.” Sorey shoved himself back, Mikleo making room for him. Sorey leaned against him for a moment before stepping away. “Where does it lead?”

“All over.” The woman spoke up again, looking nervously at her co-worker. “Most of it goes to the manufacturing districts, to the smiths, the coopers, the shipwrights, people like that. Then to the fire stations.”

Sorey tipped his head. “Not the wells?”

“There are different canals that serve that purpose. Protected ones. But our wheel keeps the city running.” The woman seemed proud of herself before she realized who she was talking to. She ducked her head in a bow, but Mikleo doubted that Sorey had noticed. He had turned back to the wheel.

Mikleo glanced back at him before nodding at the women. “Thank you.”

That got Sorey’s attention. Mikleo heard him jump, and then Sorey was turning around and nodding at them. “Yes, thank you.”

The women muttered a reply, Mikleo watching as they went back to their work. They went around to the side where they had pulled up the stones to work on the hidden parts of the wheel. Mikleo swayed in place, tempted to go and watch them, but that might be too much. He wasn’t just a curious kid here, he had a title that carried some weight.

Mikleo sighed and turned back to Sorey, joining him in leaning against the railing. Sorey was twisted to watch the women at work, his fingers drumming at the railing. “It’s amazing. And this has been running for centuries. The king that put this in place was a genius.”

“It was a matter of progression. After all, the canals have been here for longer.”

Sorey nodded, his fingers twitching like he was going to reach for a book that he didn’t have. He seemed to remember himself at the last minute, Sorey sighing. “Michael was right about this one.”

Mikleo laughed, looking over at him. “You almost sound disappointed.”

“No.” Sorey reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I was just hoping for something new to add. After all, he wrote the Celestial Record when he was our age.”

“Our age and three hundred years ago.”

“Exactly.” Sorey reached out to tap Mikleo’s arm. “So there has to be something new.”

“We’ll find it, eventually.”

Sorey pouted at that, his gaze sliding away from the two women working. It wasn’t hard to figure out that it moved back to the palace. Mikleo turned to look himself, staring at the rooftops that towered over the city.  It was strange to look at it and think it was home, because there was still a part of him that said that the house in Camlann was his home.

Mikleo hummed and looked over at Sorey. “What do you think?”

Sorey stared at him for a moment before shrugging. “We’ll have to make the rounds eventually. They were walking about a royal progress in a few months and we could do it then.”

“No, about this.” Mikleo tipped his head towards the palace.

Sorey went still for a moment, his gaze distant. Mikleo settled against the railing, waiting for his answer.

Sorey took his time in answering, his attention wandering back a few times to where the women were working. They were finishing up and lowering the stones back into place. One of them rushed back to the wheelhouse to start up the wheel.

There were a few clunks before the water came through the small pipe on top. Then the wheel started turning, moving ponderously before picking up speed.

Mikleo turned to watch it go, closing his eyes at the cool spray of water on his face.

“It’s right.” Sorey’s answer came quietly. Mikleo leaned into him, waiting for Sorey to continue. Sorey sighed and slumped against him. “It feels right, just like Zenrus said. When I saw her it was…right. Just like you.”

Mikleo smiled and opened his eyes, watching the water move by. He idly traced out the design of shells and fish that ran along the railing. “You ran away from Zenrus.”

“I did.” Sorey sounded proud of himself. He nuzzled into the side of Mikleo’s head. “You were more fun than sitting and listening to lessons.”

Mikleo looked at Sorey out of the corner of his eye with a grin. “Like we are now?”

Sorey froze, Mikleo hearing him make a panicked sound. Mikleo reached out to grab his arm. “We won’t get scolded for this. I don’t think anyone can.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“We’re learning the city.” Mikleo shrugged. “It has to be part of our duty. We’re protecting all of this after all.”

Sorey hummed, the kirin shifting so he was facing the same way as Mikleo. Sorey settled close, Mikleo comforted his presence. Everyone had told him that Sorey had come to him when they were both young, but he couldn’t remember a time without Sorey by his side. It was a silly thing to be grateful that he was allowed to come along, because he was sure that Sorey wouldn’t have left him behind. In any case, as a Shepherd, he would be expected to follow Sorey.

He leaned forward a bit more, watching as people bustled around. It was almost overwhelming to see so many people, but it was interesting because they’d never been able to people watch in Camlann. Now they actually had a chance to observe, when they weren’t running around to track down the locations that Michael had written about before.

Mikleo shifted to a more comfortable position, humming to himself. “If we’re going to be here for a while, we might want to pace ourselves. Especially if you’re going to continue your habit of sneaking away.”

Sorey huffed. “I haven’t done that for years.”

“Until now?”

Sorey glared at him for a moment before relenting with a smile. “Yeah, until now.”

“Are you going to make a habit of it?”

“Are you going to keep tempting me to?”

Mikleo laughed, hearing Sorey join in. Sorey knocked their shoulders together. Mikleo leaned in against him, tempted to really settle in and watch, but the waterbells started going off. A moment later the bells in the shrinechurch joined in, the sounds tuned to harmonize with each other.

Sorey perked up at the sound of the bells, leaning out over the railing like he was searching where it was coming from. His long hair fell down his back, Mikleo rolling his eyes at how it had fallen out of his untidy ponytail. If it stayed like that, Sorey would get all sort of things tangled in it, and then he would have to spend the evening brushing it out, but he didn’t really mind. It was something simple, something that reminded him of home. But it also implied that they would be out longer, and he could feel the palace looming behind him.

He sighed and pushed away from the railing, giving the city a longing look. They weren’t children anymore, running away from their lessons and things they didn’t like wasn’t an option.

Mikleo reached out, tugging at Sorey’s sleeve. “Come on, leave the rest for another day.”

Sorey shot him a pleading look, but it was quick to change. He nodded, taking a moment to stretch. Then he shook himself, Mikleo smiling as he watched it.

It was strange seeing everyone bow and treat Sorey with awe, because this was the Sorey he knew. He wasn’t some great and noble creature to be kept at a distance. He was just Sorey.

Sorey hovered by the railing for a little while longer before coming back to his side. Sorey bumped against him, turning the motion into leaning into him. “We’ll have to make a list.”

“We will. Around our schedule.”

Sorey chuckled. “Of course. I’m the kirin of a kingdom now. I have nothing to do but serious kingdom business.”

The two of them looked at each other, Sorey the first one to smile, but Mikleo was the first one to break. They leaned heavily against each other as they walked towards the palace, laughing all the way there.

* * *

Alisha jogged out of the palace, throwing nervous looks back over her shoulder. She partially expected someone to come rushing after her, pushing more paperwork or another supplication on her. Just the thought made her speed up.

It wasn’t right for the queen to be running away from her court and duties, but Alisha was sure that, if one more person approached her, she was going to scream. It was enough to make her consider taking a page out of Aifread’s book. The king was always on the move and, while the important things must have gotten to him, the rest could not, not unless that had a ship swift enough to keep up with the _Van Eltia_. Alisha wished for that, because it meant that she would have the time to breathe and think problems through instead of just constantly reacting. It felt like she was getting nowhere, that she was helping nothing.

She rubbed her hands over her face. Her head was just a muddle of numbers and calculations. She even dreamed of them, the problems chasing themselves around and around her head until she was sure that she would go insane, either because of lack of solutions or because of lack of sleep.

Alisha dropped her hands away, looking out towards the stables. She didn’t feel right sneaking out of her meetings, because they were important, but there were only so many hours in a day, and so much that she could manage. Surely an hour’s ride wouldn’t hurt her, not when it was sure to clear her mind and give the others time to work on various solutions. Or, more likely, more complaints.

She smiled wryly to herself, shaking her head. It was an unfair thought, but it seemed like everything that came to her were problems, either with the kingdom or with the upcoming royal progress. The latter was important, and Alisha agreed with that. Hyland needed reassurance that she was more than a myth. Hyland needed to see their Shepherd and kirin.

Alisha paused at the base of the stairs, cocking her head to the side. She couldn’t remember seeing Mikleo or Sorey since breakfast. She knew that they had the habit of wandering out into the city for a few hours. Alisha was sure that it kept Ladylake calm, but it made her wonder how they spent the rest of the day. She didn’t doubt that they were working. Breakfast was the one time they were able to talk, and both of them seemed very aware of everything that was going on, perhaps even more than she did. It was a horrible conclusion to come to, especially when she had been like that once. As a member of the guard, it had been impossible to miss what was going on. Now she was removed from all of that.

She shuddered, glancing around the stable yard. She couldn’t be that out of touch with her city. If she couldn’t manage a city then it was bad news for the kingdom. Which meant that she had to find her Shepherd and kirin.

She started toward the gates, hoping that one of the guards had seen them, only to stop when she heard the sound of laughter and a strange whinny.

Alisha cocked her head, listening to the sound. It was almost the sound that a horse would make, but it was drastically different at the same time. Alisha found herself drifting towards it before she could stop herself. She remembered the sound that she had heard when Sorey had first appeared, the calls that he had made.

She followed the sound of laughter around towards the back of the table, where there was a small area for washing off the horses. It was usual to see people there. The grooms in the royal stables were always busy for reason. Alisha couldn’t imagine anyone in the palace having time for a ride, not unless they stole the time for themselves. Still, it was good to know that one part of the palace was moving smoothly while the rest of them floundered.

Alisha reached out to pet a muzzle that was stretched out towards her, smiling at the whiskery touch. It was a familiar one, and something that soothed her. She stroked the horse’s muzzle, pausing when she heard that whinny again.

The horse pulled away, its ears pricking. Alisha watched it stare fixedly in one direction. She turned to face it, catching the sight of something white flapping in the wind.

She walked over to the cloth, reaching out to touch the Shepherd’s cloak. She traced out some of the pattern on it before looking over at the washing corner.

Mikleo was there with a bucket, chasing around a dark brown horse. The horse kept dodging away, and it was only when it tossed its head that Alisha realized that it had a horn.

Her mouth dropped open at the sight of the Hyland kirin. He looked nothing like the wondrous creature that had come charging out of the darkness to save Hyland. His coat didn’t shine with the same metallic gleam that all kirin did. Then again, he was absolutely covered in mud. Even the white blaze that ran down his face was completely gone.

Sorey pivoted easily as Mikleo lunged after him. He trotted a few steps away, lifting his knees high with his tail held up.

Alisha heard Mikleo curse, the Shepherd trying to recover from the dodge. Mikleo swayed before setting down the bucket. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, what do you want to do? Trot on in there like that?”

Sorey stared at him before shaking, some of the mud coming off, but it practically made no difference. It was enough to make Mikleo throw his arms wide. “Because that helped. Just let me do this. You’ll get mud everywhere.”

Sorey considered Mikleo for a moment before darting away. Mikleo cursed again, grabbing up his bucket again.

Alisha could see that it would be impossible to catch him. The kirin moved quickly, looking like he was one minute away from leaping up into the air. But Sorey remained on the ground, and far away from Mikleo.

She pressed a hand to her mouth as Mikleo nearly tumbled over, water splashing down his front. That brought Mikleo to a stop. He looked down at himself, shaking the water off of his hands. “Sorey!”

The kirin stopped to look at him, cocking his head to the side before making a sound like a laugh. Sorey bobbed his head before trotting off.

Alisha watched him for a moment before flattening herself against the closest stalls. She glanced to her side, smiling down at the full bucket of water by her feet. Before she could really think about what she was doing, she snatched up the bucket. Alisha went still, listening to the sound of Sorey’s hooves. She counted to herself, tensing as the kirin came around the corner.

Sorey looked at her, Alisha waiting just long enough to see his eyes widen and then she was in motion. She heaved the bucket, the kirin planting his feet and stopping. It didn’t matter because he was perfectly in range.

The water hit him, splashing over his face and neck. It wasn’t enough to go over all of him, but muddy water ran down his face and dripped off his mane.

There was a shout from Mikleo, Alisha raising her bucket in victory before looking back over at Sorey. The kirin was still staring at her, Alisha’s laughter dying.

She had thrown a bucket of water in Sorey’s face. In a _kirin’s_ face.

The bucket dropped out of her hands, Alisha dropping to her knees. She heard Sorey snort, watching as he backed up a step, leaving a puddle of dirty water. Alisha didn’t consider it for too long. She prostrated herself on the cobbles. “F-forgive me, Lord Sorey. There’s no excuse for my behavior.”

Sorey didn’t reply immediately, Alisha squeezing her eyes closed. She expected that because she had offended the kirin. He’d probably never have suffered such an insult. She had never been to Mount Mabinogio, but it was a sacred and holy place. They kirins were probably treated with all the respect that was due to them. No one was going around throwing buckets of water at them.

Alisha curled her fingers in, biting her lip. It wasn’t a large insult, but it made her wonder what would be. What would be enough to make Sorey leave?

She shivered at the thought. Hyland would lose his blessing if he did, which she couldn’t let happen. The hellions would come back, and she couldn’t allow that. Ladylake had walls that would keep out the worse of it, as would most of the cities, but it was the villages in between that worried her. She would have to work out a way to protect them on top of all the others things and…

Her thoughts ground to a halt as she felt a soft touch to the top of her head. Alisha held her breath, remaining still. The touch didn’t go away, Alisha feeling the pressure increase slightly before strands of her hair were gently lipped up. Sorey’s muzzle moved away, Alisha sitting up abruptly when it touched her cheek.

She rocked back onto her heels, staring at Sorey in shock. The kirin stepped forward, pressing his muzzle against her cheek. Alisha could only stare at Sorey as he rested his muzzle there. It was nothing that she expected, so much so that she could only think about how soft Sorey’s muzzle felt. Horses had their whiskers that were slightly bristly, but Sorey either didn’t have them or they were just as soft as his muzzle. She had never looked hard enough to notice.

Sorey rested his muzzle against her cheek for a moment longer before moving it to breathe out against her nose. Then he took a step away, looking at her. “Alisha?”

It was an opening, one that Aisha was glad that Sorey had opened up for her. “I’m sorry.” Sorey made a surprised sound, but she ignored it. Alisha bent forward, stopping herself from completely bowing. “I shouldn’t have presumed.”

Sorey was quiet for a moment, Alisha sure that he was getting ready to give her a lecture. Alisha braced herself, taking deep breaths as she readied herself for rejection.

“Oh, that? You don’t have to apologize for that.”

Alisha looked at him in shock. Sorey shifted in place, Alisha surprised by how bashful he looked. Sorey’s ears flicked back and forth for a moment before he lowered his head to meet her gaze. “It’s just water…and we were just playing.”

“But you’re _the_ kirin.”

“I’m _a_ kirin.” Sorey pawed at the ground, his gaze sliding away. “It’s really alright.”

Alisha stared at him, waiting for some kind of condemnation, but Sorey looked just as mortified as she was. She cautiously got to her feet, watching as Sorey stepped back to give her room.

He studied her for a minute before swinging his head around to scratch at it. Alisha stared at the clumps of mud that were falling from behind his ear. It was something that she had seen some of the other horses doing, and it was such a mundane thing that is shocked her. Kirin were powerful and noble creatures, far above the rest of mere mortals. But here was a kirin, covered in mud, scratching an itch and playing with his Shepherd.

She swallowed and reaching out, sliding her hand under Sorey’s jaw and scratching. Sorey froze at her first touch, his gaze flicking to her before he leaned into her touch.

Alisha breathed out as Sorey turned towards her, watching as she worked free a few more clumps of mud to see more of the bronze color of his coat. She moved on to clear another section, Sorey swinging his head closer. For a moment, she thought that Sorey would drop his head into her arms. Then, Mikleo was coming around to them.

He reached out to tug on Sorey’s forelock, the kirin snorting and lifting his head away. Mikleo shook his head at him, reaching out to tap Sorey’s muzzle. “Just because you’re covered in mud doesn’t mean that everyone else has to be. We have to get back to work, remember?”

Sorey considered him for a moment before lipping at Mikleo’s finger. Mikleo stared at him before shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”

Sorey laughed and turned away, trotting back to the wash corner. Alisha watched as he got to a good distance before shaking, more mud sloughing off of him. There were a few more patches of his bronze coat visible, but it just made him look patchy, like the other horses did when they were in the middle of shedding.

Alisha looked over at Mikleo, watching as he reached back to tug his hair back into a messy ponytail. “What happened?”

“We went to check on some of the closer villages to see how things were.” Mikleo tugged twice on his ponytail before letting it fall. “There hasn’t been any reports of hellions attacking, just moving through. So it looks like the domain is stable. We want to do a few more checks, but maybe after things with the progress are settled.”

“Why?”

“Because we’ve been leaving you alone to handle this a lot.”

Alisha shook her head. “You’ve been busy.”

There was a loud snort from Sorey, Alisha looking at the kirin in surprise. Sorey studied her for a moment before shaking his head. “No one can run a kingdom on their own.”

Mikleo gestured at him. “See? Great wisdom from a kirin. You can’t ignore that.”

Alisha smiled, looking over at Sorey. “Great wisdom from a muddy kirin.”

Mikleo shrugged. “We can fix that easily enough.”

Alisha snuck a glance back at the palace, making her choice quickly. She needed some time to clear her head from the morning meeting. The rote motions would be good, something to calm her and empty her mind.  Besides, she could count on one hand the time that she had spent with Mikleo and Sorey. With the time for her presentation on Rayfalke Spiritcrest fast approaching, she felt like she had to get to know them. They couldn’t remain strangers for all eternity.

She bent down to pick up her bucket, giving Mikleo a tentative grin. “You want to take one side.”

Mikleo nodded. “That might actually get him cleaned fast enough. How long do you have until the next meeting?”

“An hour.” Alisha glanced off in the direction of the shrinechurch clock tower. “But there’s nothing stopping us from taking longer. Having the meeting out here might be more productive.”

“More hands to help us.” Mikleo narrowed his eyes as they watched Sorey walking over to a few of the stalls, the kirin seeming to be introducing himself to the horses there. “I don’t trust him not to wander off again.”

“Does he do this often?”

Mikleo gave her a put upon look. “You have no idea.”

Alisha looked back at the kirin, Sorey now waiting almost impatiently. She tried to see if she could tell if Sorey was about to run to the nearest mud puddle, but he just looked curious about why they were taking so long.

Alisha took a deep breath, rolling up your sleeves. “I’ll take left.”

Mikleo nodded and strode forward, calling out to Sorey. The kirin perked up and stood square on the cobblestones, Alisha wanting to laugh at the eager look on his face. Mud covered and practically dancing in place was far better than the untouchable kirin. It made her feel like she could do this because Sorey wasn’t a distant being anymore, he was one of them, and that was a relief.

She rolled her shoulders, following after Mikleo. Alisha reached out as she passed Sorey, smiling as the kirin lowered his head to press his muzzle against her hand. She moved off, dragging her hand over Sorey’s face and stopping when she hit the start of the mud. It was a good, thick coat, Alisha frowning at the sight of it. She threw a quick glance over Sorey’s back at Mikleo before turning to refill to bucket and begin her assault on the mud-coated kirin.

END


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people were asking after Rose and Dezel after the last one, so I had to come up with something for them. Written for Tales Whump Week.

Dezel looked up as a group of people entered the throne room. He took in the cut of their clothes, Dezel glancing over to Lafarga and raising an eyebrow. He almost expected the disappointed look from his Shepherd. Dezel supposed this was something that he should have remembered, but he had been busy checking in on the villages on the outer edges of their kingdom. Reports of hellions had to be just as important.

He looked away from his Shepherd, relieved that Brad rose from his throne, walking down the steps towards the delegation. “Prince Konan! Welcome to Westronbolt!”

From the look on Prince Konan’s face, he wasn’t expecting such a welcome. Dezel assumed that he was used to something with more decorum, especially since Hyland and Lohgrin so close. Even Islandgand could roll out the proper ceremonies, but those things were less important, especially if their king had been a mercenary for most of his life. Brad didn’t take much stock with ceremony, it was more important for him to meet face to face.

To his credit, the prince from Rolance just bowed low. “Your highness, it’s a pleasure to be in your kingdom.”

“And how do you like it?” Brad’s eyes sparkled a bit with the question, Dezel not bothering to hide his smile. This was Brad testing him, possibly teasing him. From the sigh that he heard from Lafarga, the Shepherd had figured it out. Dezel reached over to slap at Lafarga’s arm, only to have Lafarga pull his arm away.

Prince Konan must have seen the motion because he looked up, glancing between the two of them before giving them a sheepish smile. “I expected something more barren, but the information available to me is obviously out of date. It is vibrant and beautiful. I think I will be quite at home for the duration of my time as ambassador. I thank you for offering this to me.”

Brad waved away the effusive thanks. “We needed to repair our relationships with the other kingdoms, as someone keeps reminding me.” Brad threw a smile back over his shoulder, Lafarga sputtering a bit at that. “You’ll be escorted to your rooms and asked to do nothing more strenuous than attend a dinner.”

Konan matched Brad’s smile. “Thank you for your mercy on our travel worn bodies. And I apologize, we might not even be good company for dinner.”

“There’s plenty of time for that.” Brad stepped forward, motioning towards the end of the room. Prince Konan turned with him, the two of them carrying on a conversation as they walked out of the throne room.

Dezel watched them for a moment before going to stand up, stopping when Lafarga leaned over to tug at his sleeve. He looked down at his Shepherd, sighing at the look on Lafarga’s face.

“Behave.”

Dezel gave him an offended look. “I know how to behave. The seraphim weren’t negligent.”

“Sometimes I wonder…”

Dezel rolled his eyes. “I’ll tell Medea what you think of her rearing.”

Lafarga narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. “I’d like to keep my head, thank you.”

Dezel laughed and walked away, hearing Lafarga laugh behind him.

* * *

“We’ll halt here!”

Dezel lifted his head at the shout, twitching an ear back. He heard the wagon creak as Eguille stepped down. He listened as his king started down the line of caravans, passing on the order. Following close on his heels was his Shepherd, Rose already organizing everyone to circle up and start taking care of the animals.

Dezel turned, carefully crossing leg over leg until the wagon behind him turned. He flicked one ear to listen to the jingle of the harness pieces on the others carts and the bell from the cart just behind him. Dezel stopped when the bell rang loudly, like someone was tapping it instead of the gentle ringing as the horse moved. He came to an abrupt stop, standing still with his ears twisting around as he listened to the rest of the camp settle down. It was only when he was sure that he wasn’t going to be stumbling into them that he turned his head and started to pull at the straps that held him to the wagon.

It was easy to tug one free, but Eguille was working on the other one before he could reach for it. Dezel went still as his king worked to finish off the rest of the straps before lifting the rest of it away. “Two steps.”

Dezel followed the order, trusting Eguille to look after his footing. Then again, they had been moving over smooth roads for the past couple of days. Dezel tipped his head to the side, taking deep breaths before giving up. “Where are we?”

“Still in Rolance.” There was a jingle as Eguille set the harness down in the wagon. “We’re just outside of Pendrago.”

“Pendrago?”

His listened as Eguille’s boots scrapped across the ground before coming to an abrupt stop. “Yes.”

The word was drawn out, like Eguille wasn’t sure what he was answering. Dezel turned his head towards Eguille, lowering his head until he estimated that he was at eye level with the man. He didn’t hear any shifting, which meant that he had judged the distance and level right. He tossed his head slightly to get his forelock to move, just to give Eguille the illusion that he was looking at him, even if they both knew better. “How close?”

“The city itself is there.” Dezel heard Eguille move forward, his palms brushing against his whiskers before he cupped the bottom of Dezel’s jaw. He relaxed as Eguille started to turn him, Dezel moving until Eguille dropped his palms away. “Just over that rise…or you can follow the road.”

Dezel turned his head back in the direction they had been traveling. The road would be more obvious, but it would be the easiest way to travel. The area was unfamiliar, and he was not about to take Rose and Eguille with him. Not after what had happened to his last Shepherd and king. He pinned his ears, taking a few deep breaths before stepping away.

“Wait!”

He stopped when Eguille touched his side. Dezel snorted, his tail flicking in irritation. It must have hit Eguille because the man stepped aside. He turned his head to follow Eguille as the man walked around him until he was standing in front. “You’re going to go now?”

“Yes.” Dezel raised his head. “There’s no point in waiting.”

“Then what do I tell the others?”

“Whatever you need.”

Eguille sighed, Dezel used to the sound. It was enough to make him wish that Rose had caught him first. It was easier to convince her to let him go by calling it a kirin thing. She seemed more than happy to let that go. Dezel was sure that it was some failing on his part, because Rose was not a typical Shepherd, but she didn’t have the typical duties. She’d never had to purify malevolence or chase hellions into the far parts of a kingdom. Her duties were restricted to a caravan of maybe one hundred fifty people, making sure that they didn’t turn into hellions himself. Dezel was sure that they were bound to carry more malevolence than the average citizen of another kingdom. Having their entire home destroyed and being forced to constantly wander would do that to a people. Which was why what he was doing so important.

He stamped his hoof, trying to glare imperiously at Eguille. He was hard when he could only estimate where the man was. “I’m going. This is for them.”

Dezel heard Eguille suck in a deep breath, sure the man was going to argue. He pinned his ears, just barely keeping himself from baring his teeth. He was not going to threaten his king, not when Eguille was doing so much for the people. He was the one who had organized all of the caravans, kept them moving and safe.

He heard a rustle of cloth, lowering his head enough to stretch his head out. His muzzle brushed against Eguille’s folded arms. He snorted and pulled his head back. “Eguille-”

“Don’t you think that Rolance will take offense to this?”

“Yes. But it’s only fair.”

“You would condemn a whole people to suffer.”

“Isn’t it fair?”

“No.” Eguille sounded exasperated. “Rolance will suffer and we won’t have the chance to speak with them.”

Dezel cocked an ear in Eguille’s direction. “Why would you want to speak with them?”

There was another rustle of fabric, but Dezel didn’t move to feel out the motion. “Because we can’t keep this up. We’ll be fine to travel until winter, but then we’ll have to worry about food.”

“We should be gathering along the way.”

“We are, but we’d have to stop to do what we need.”

“They’ll have the chance here.”

“Dezel.” He recoiled at the hard snap of his name. “That won’t be enough. We have to find a place to settle, if only for the winter.”

Dezel went quiet, flicking his tail as he thought. They were so close to Pendrago. He couldn’t allow them to move, but to not allow them to move was worse. There were other kingdoms that would help. Islegand was known to be generous, but the thought made his skin shiver. They might be without a kingdom, but he was sure that the three of them could provide for the one hundred fifty people that they had brought out of Westronbolt. He was their kirin, he had to do that much. Food and shelter for the winter was part of it, but this was equally as important. They were on the doorstep of the people that had ruined their home.

He flicked an ear back towards Eguille, considering his king’s request before shaking his head. “I can’t. They took Brad and Lafarga from us.”

Eguille sighed, the sound long and loud. He heard Eguille shift before the man shook his head. “Take Rose.”

Dezel bared his teeth at the order. When phrased like that, he couldn’t help but obey, it was part of their pact. He still fought to shake his head. “She’s needed here.”

“Take. Rose.”

Dezel took a step back under the force of the order, his nostrils flaring. He would have thought that it wouldn’t have hit him so hard, considering that he couldn't be considered a full kirin, not anymore. Then again, he had been whole enough to choose and king and a Shepherd. He had been kirin enough to subdue the hellions in Westronbolt, not that many large ones had survived.

Dezel swished his tail, stamping a hind leg before ducking his head. That seemed enough for Eguille because the man moved away. There was an apology in the way that Eguille brushed his hand over Dezel’s coat. Then he was moving back towards the sounds of the camp being set up. “Rose! Can you come over here for a moment?”

Dezel sighed and cocked a hind hoof, resting it as he waited for Rose.

* * *

Dezel walked around the garden, cooling himself down and stretching his legs. He’d been out early for a run, if only to keep his sanity. Now that there was a king in Westronbolt, he was spending most of his time sitting down instead of being out and about. He still needed to run, still needed to go among the villages and watch. As it was, he’d spent a lovely morning with a herd of cows.

He ducked his head, watching for the bunnies that were sometimes in the garden. He hadn’t seen them lately, which made him worry. It could be something as simple as more humans around the gardens and palace, or it could be something more sinister. Then again, if it was malevolence, he and Lafarga would have felt it. Westronbolt had been calm for years now, as was the goal of every kirin. The bunnies had probably gone to find somewhere quieter.

Dezel made his way around a curve, perking his ears up when he saw Brad and Lafarga sitting out on one of the walls. He trotted over to them, watching as Brad lifted a lazy hand to wave. He lowered his muzzle to press it into Brad’s hand.

Brad laughed and reached his other hand up to rub up towards the base of his horn and then down to his muzzle. Dezel leaned into the touch, perfectly content to stand there. Although, he was sure that Lafarga would remind them about their duties soon enough. The man didn’t seem to know how to relax for longer than a few minutes. It might be because they had so much to do, but Dezel liked to keep the mornings to himself. The dawn was the time that he could just be without people rushing around them at all times.

Dezel heard the crunch of a boot on the path, lifting his head slightly. He saw Lafarga slipping off of the wall. Dezel sighed and went to step away, expecting to be called to start on his duties. He lifted his head away from Brad to look at Lafarga, taken aback by the frown on his face. Another crunch caught his attention, Dezel turning his head to watch as Prince Konan and a few of his entourage walked towards them.

He took a step back, confused. The prince was more likely to sleep in than to be up early, especially with anyone left in his entourage.

He flicked his tail over his hindquarters, not daring to look away. It was easier to turn his ears to listen to where Brad and Lafarga were going. His skin shivered as he felt Brad’s hand on him, the king moving up his side.

“Prince Konan.” Brad’s voice carried a bit of a threat.

“King Brad.” Konan nodded, Dezel snorting when he saw that the prince’s hand lingered on his sword.

They remained still for a moment before Konan cleared his throat. “You’ve been honest with me, so there’s no reason not to return the favor. The current state of affairs is untenable.”

Dezel pinned his ears. “What part of it does Rolance not like?”

Konan smiled, blandly and made a motion instead of answering his question. The men in the entourage drew their swords, Brad doing the same.

Brad didn’t hesitate before charging in front of them. Dezel jerked forward, lipping at Lafarga’s collar to draw him back. The Shepherd came back, Dezel nudging him in the direction of the palace before taking a deep breath and neighing. He heard the sound echo, sure that someone would rush into action.

He took another deep breath to call again, when he heard Konan shout, “Someone silence that damn kirin!”

One of his guards dodged around Brad, rushing towards him with his sword drawn.

Dezel danced away, twisting around to try and kick the man. It would be the best way to get him away without drawing blood. As soon as blood was drawn, he would be useless.

He kicked out at the guard, baring his teeth as the man dodged him. He snaked his head out, intending on frightening the man back. The soldier would dodge back, and then go back to keeping him busy. After all, no one would dare to attack a kirin.

He snapped at the man, taking a step forward to keep chasing him back, his eyes widening as the man abruptly lunged forward. It was so surprising that he didn’t pull his head back, not until the sword cut into his horn.

Dezel twisted away, but the damage was done. He screamed as the sword cut through a portion of his horn. He twisted to the side, barely aware of anything but the pain on his forehead, and the storm he called around him to send them all away.

* * *

Rose kept her hand on Dezel’s shoulder as they moved through the woods. She kept her other hand on her knife, glancing around nervously. Dezel was depending on her to be his eyes, especially since they had left the road. It was her job to guide him over the roots and rocky ledges. Beyond that, they had to watch out for hellions and anyone from Rolance.

She shifted her grip on her knife, glaring out into the woods. Rolance was why they were roaming, the reason that she was a Shepherd in the first place. Ambassadors from Rolance had killed their last king and Shepherd, and injured their kirin.

Rose glanced over at where Dezel was walking carefully through the forest. His black coat shone in the light, beautiful and metallic like all kirin. She followed the line of his neck up to his mutilated horn.

It reminded her of a green branch that had been broken. It was splintered off at the end, twists of horn still in place. It made her want to ask if he wanted them filed down to keep things from catching on it, but it was probably inappropriate. She didn’t know. Dezel hadn’t told her much about what a Shepherd did. He had just proclaimed her a Shepherd and then led them away from Westronbolt.

Rose glanced down, reaching up to tug on Dezel’s mane. The kirin slowed down, letting Rose lift one front leg and then a back leg over a large branch. Dezel grunted his thanks before continuing to move.

She frowned, twining her fingers into his mane before looking forward. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Rose frowned. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the best I can give.”

Rose rolled her eyes, looking around at the woods. It didn’t seem like they were sneaking around, which meant that there was no reason not to speak. “So, what are we looking for?”

“Who?”

“ _Who_  are we looking for?”

“Rolance’s kirin. I have business with her.”

Rose glanced over at where she assumed Rolance was. “Shouldn’t we go to the city then?”

Dezel shook his head. “I’m not risking any of you close to that viper’s den. Not after what they did.”

Rose looked at the trees, shaking her head. “Then why how are we going to talk to Rolance’s kirin?”

Dezel turned his head to look at her. His gaze didn’t quite manage to meet hers, his eyes focusing on that distance that they always did. But, even with the blind stare, he managed to convey disdain. “I smell her.”

Rose looked ahead of them, trying to trace where they would be heading. It was hard considering that they would have to pick their way on a winding path to keep Dezel from hurting himself. Knowing the kirin, Dezel would keep where Rolance’s kirin was to himself, or at least until he needed her help with something. He was quiet like that.

She sighed, resigning herself to trailing after him for hours until he found what he was looking for when Dezel came to a stop. Rose had to lean away as Dezel swung his head. She watched his nostrils flare, the kirin taking deep breaths before practically shouldering her aside as he started off in a new direction.

“Hey!” Rose slapped at his neck. “What it?”

She saw his ear turn back to her, Dezel sighing before muttering an apology. Rose eyed him for a moment before shaking her head. “Fine, where are you going?”

“I have her.” Dezel lifting his head to take a deep breath again. His ears twitched as he tried to pinpoint where the kirin was. Dezel didn’t even slow down when she went to nudge one of his legs higher over a fallen long. Rose winced when he stumbled a bit, his head dipping, but Dezel almost didn’t seem to notice. He went back to searching, his head lifted as high as it could go. “Where are we?”

Rose shrugged, glancing around. She wasn’t familiar with this woods, so she could only guess. Rose stood on her tip toes, peering through the woods before shaking her head and making her best guess. “We’re going back towards Pendrago.”

Dezel nodded, his attention moving away from her. Rose frowned, wanting to shove at his shoulder to get his attention. Rose stared up at the kirin, frowning. 

Everyone in the caravan treated him like he was a divine being, and she vaguely remembered her parents telling her as such. But a kirin was supposed to look after his people along with the king and Shepherd, but she felt like she was left out of the loop. If anything, she and Eguille were taking care of the people. Dezel was more often on his own, forging ahead and behind.

Rose cleared her throat. “What will this do for them?”

Dezel didn’t seem to hear her. Rose frowned and shoved her shoulder against Dezel. This was enough to make him move out of the way, Dezel turning his head towards her. That was a little better. “What is this going to do for the others? Or is it about you?”

Dezel opened and shut his mouth before shaking his head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Explaining things would go a long way.”

Dezel flicked his tail irritably. “She destroyed everything.”

“If I remember correctly, it was Prince Konan.”

Dezel shook his head. “They sent him knowing what he would do.”

Rose pressed her lips together, looking away. It was a logical conclusion, the problem was she knew nothing about it. 

Everything in Westronbolt had been destroyed by the  _meishoku_  that had come out of the assassination attempt on the Shepherd and the death of the king or in the rush of hellions that followed. If there were records, then they were gone. Rose was sure that she could comb through the people who had made it out of the kingdom, but she was sure that some wouldn’t want to talk. Most of them hadn’t been at the palace when the  _meishoku_  had occurred. Eguille was the only survivor of that. The rest of them came from scattered places around the kingdom, making the pilgrimage to the capital to safety. Except that there had been none. There had just been desperation until Eguille had demanded that they leave for their own safety. It was a decision that should have been joint, but Shepherd Lafarga had been dying and Dezel had been in a daze. Rose was sure that everyone had thought that it would be just for a season, just until they reached the next kingdom, but Dezel had pushed them on.

He was still pushing him on.

Rose reached up to grab a handful of his mane, ready to tug him to a stop. She would let him go on for a little bit more, then she was hauling him back to their camp. Mystical kirin or not, she was not going to let this stand. She may have been appointed Shepehrd to have a warm body in the place, but she would take her duty seriously.

She took another step and nearly crumpled, Rose’s head spinning at the sudden rush of malevolence. Her knees shook and gave out, Rose getting dragged for two steps before Dezel came to an abrupt stop. Rose took the chance to scramble to her feet, leaning heavily on him. She glanced up at his face, only then noticing that Dezel was trembling.

The kirin rocked forward before coming to a stop. “She’s here.”

Rose shook her head. “Malevolence is here.”

“What do you see?”

Rose rubbed at her streaming eyes, looking out into the forest. Her heart pounded when she saw the hellions standing among the trees. They were moving and shifting away when they saw them, but it was more to let them through than anything else. The hellions gave them a quick glance before turning their attention to the two figures standing at the edge of the woods.

Rose shrunk back at a strange creature that seemed more eyeball than anything, unnerved by its blank stare. The strange, skunk-like hellion on the other side wasn’t a better bet. She wanted nothing more than to grab a hold on Dezel’s mane and tug him around. She would even dare the wrath of the gods to swing up on his back and make him run. She could apologize for the affront to him later, but having a kirin for their people was more important for anything else. Despite Dezel’s preoccupation, the rest of them were only still following because they had him.

Their trusted and beloved king was dead. Eguille was a good man, but he wasn’t Brad. And she wasn’t Lafarga, she was just some orphan that her found her way to the capital by some miracle. If Dezel was taken, everything would fall apart and there wouldn’t be a Westronbolt kingdom, not anymore.

She grabbed a tighter hold on his man, wrapping her other arm around his neck to start to turn him. “Dezel…”

One of the figures at the edge of the forest turned around, the smaller figure looking at them. She swayed in place before reaching out to touch the arm of the other figure. Now that she was closer, Rose could tell that it was a hellion, a strange lion-like man.

“Wait.” The small girl patted the hellion’s arm again before walking over to them. The assembled hellions let her pass, but Rose saw a few of them licking their lips. Rose shivered, but the girl seemed to be unaware that they were there. She just kept walking until she was an arm’s length away from them. Then she tipped her head back, squinting up at Dezel’s face. “Dezel, you’ve come far, and with a new Shepherd. A surprise.”

Her gaze lingered on Dezel’s shattered horn, a frown crossing her face. “We all thought you were dead.”

Dezel snorted. “As you planned.”

Rolance’s kirin tipped her head to the side, staring at him for a moment before dismissing him. It was long enough for Kallen to see confusion on her face. Then she was walking away, turning to look back over where Pendrago sat in the distance. “We planned nothing, we are simply waiting.”

Dezel took a deep breath. “Daemonblight.”

The other kirin nodded. “Someone has already taken my place, so they’ll be sending my king out soon.” She threw a look back over her shoulder. “If you want to kill me, you’ll have to wait. The hellions have be waiting too.”

Rose looked around at the hellions, their concentration making her wary. They couldn’t stay here, the kirin was too calm and too ready to stand by what remained of her Shepherd.

Rose got a good hold on Dezel, pulling him around. To her relief, he went without a fight, allowing her to lead him back through the circle of hellions.

Dezel remained quiet until they were far away from the hellions. Then he pulled out of her hands and turned back in the direction that they had come. “You can go back.”

“What? No.” Rose crossed her arms over her chest. “Eguille told me to watch you.”

“You won’t want to watch.”

“Watch what?”

Dezel turned towards her, his ears turned towards her for a moment before one flicked back towards where the hellions were. “As soon as she dies, they’re going to eat her.”

“What?!” Rose felt her stomach turn.

Dezel didn’t seem affected, he just nodded. “It’s part of the agreement. She subdues them and they get every part of her but the horn. Go back to camp. I’m going to make sure it’s done properly.”

He turned away and walked off before she could argue. Rose stared at him, watching as the black kirin picked his way back into the woods. By all rights, she should follow, but she didn’t think she could stand the malevolence generated by the hellions, nor could she stay and watch the Rolance kirin get eaten. She would just explain it to Eguille and she was sure that he would understand.

She felt her stomach roll again, Rose clamping her hand over her mouth before racing back to the camp.

 

**Author's Note:**

>  **Terminology:**  
>  Outer Sea – name of the outer edges of the sea, not under Aifread’s rule  
> Seraphim – immortals that lives on Mt. Mabinogio and takes care of kirin  
> ranka – the egg-fruit that people are born from  
> Sahsinboku – tree that kirin are born from  
> Yaboku – tree bearing the ranka of animals and hellions  
> Prime Lord – another title for the royal kirin, applied when the kirin is out with the Shepherd  
> Lord of the Land – a title for the royal kirin, applied when the kirin is in state  
> Daemonblight – a disease the effects the kirin, monarch and Shepherd when either the monarch or Shepherd strays from the path of righteousness.  
> Meishoku – a storm created by kirin under extreme stress or danger
> 
> A list of the 12 Kingdoms of Glenwood including their latest king, Shepherd, kirin and coat color of their kirin. Former holders of the position indicated by brackets.
> 
> 1) Elysia – Zenrus, Michael and Lailah (bright chestnut)  
> 2) Rolance – Leon, Sergei and Boris (dark bay) [Formerly Dorann, Heldalf and Symmone (black)]  
> 3) Hyland – Alisha, Mikleo and Sorey (bronze-y chestnut) [Formerly Régis, Maltran and Tal (dappled grey)]  
> 4) Lohgrin – [Melchior], Mayvin and Magilou (perlino)  
> 5) Far Continent – Airi, Shigure and Morgrim (grey)  
> 6) Normin Island – Pheonix, Atakk and Edna (palomino)  
> 7) Islegand (and surrounding ocean to the outer sea) – Aifread, [Seve] and Eizen (buckskin)  
> 8) Northgand – Teresa, Oscar and Silva (grey)  
> 9) Southgand – Medissa, Dyle and Kamoana (bay)  
> 10) Eastgand – Niko, Eleanor and Velvet (blood bay)  
> 11) Pitzerback- Unknown  
> 12) Westronbolt – Eguille, Rose, Dezel (black) [formerly Brad, Lafarga]
> 
> Divine Heavens: Amenoch, Eumacia, Hyanoa, Musiphe and Maotelus (cremello)  
> [Formerly: Innominat (albino)]


End file.
